The Impact of Daylighting on Peak Electrical Demand

A complete analysis of the cost-effectiveness of daylighting strategies should include the impact of daylighting on peak electrical demand as well as on energy consumption. We utilized an hour-by-hour building energy analysis program to study the thermal and daylighting impacts of fenestration on peak demand. Fenestration properties and lighting system characteristics were varied parametrically for office buildings in Madison WI and Lake Charles LA. Peak electrical demand was disaggregated by component and by zone, monthly patterns of peak demand were examined, and impacts of fenestration performance on chiller size were studied.

The results suggest that for daylighted office buildings, the peak electrical demand results from a complex trade-off between cooling load due to fenestration parameters, lighting load reductions due to glazing and lighting system characteristics. Lowest peak demands generally occur with small to moderate size apertures. With daylighting, peak electrical demand is reduced by 10 to 20% for the building configuration studied (37% perimeter zone, 63% core zone). This work indicates that solar gain through fenestration must be effectively controlled in order to realize the potential of daylighting to significantly reduce peak electrical demand.